Eaton Corporation

Thomas & Betts Corporation

Mark E Fabian

William Nattel

Serge R Michaud

Daniel R Lalancette

An outlet box for a conventional electrical receptacle or like includes a rear support bracket extending rearwardly from one side thereof. The bracket is generally L-shaped and can include a weakened portion, to enable it to be bent. The bracket abuts an inner face of a wall panel, to prevent rearward movement of the outlet box. At the front, a frame can be attached to or integral with the side wall of the outlet box, for the mounting of communication cables. For this purpose, the frame can include one or more tabs to which communication cables can be initially secured. The tabs are deflectable internally, to abut the inner face of a wall panel around the outlet box and the frame, to prevent forward movement of the outlet box.

Electrical outlet box and plate therefor incorporating a rear support

A self-locking divider plate made of flat sheet metal is provided in an electrical box to form separate compartments. The electrical box has several upper and lower front ledges which form aligned slots which in turn, cooperate to receive the divider plate. The side edges of the divider plate has a biased sheared tab which locks the plate in place between the slots upon installation of the plate into the box. These sheared tabs extend outwardly from one of the planar surfaces of the plate. When the plate is inserted into two aligned front slots, the tabs are pushed inwardly toward the planar surface of the plate, and spring back to their normal position when the plate is in its proper position in the box. The tabs engage an inside surface of the ledges when the plate is moved outwardly from the box to prevent its accidental removal. Tangs on the back edge of the plate fit into slots in the back wall of the box, and tangs on a front edge of the plate adjacent to the sheared tabs engage the walls of the slots to position and secure the divider plate within the box.

Self-locking divider plate for an electrical box

A protector plate used in the construction industry for protecting electric wiring which passes through metal studs. The protector plate is formed from metal sheeting to create a face plate which has an attaching member connected thereto. The attaching member allows the protector plate to be secured upon the metal stud without the use of attaching hardware such as nails or screws. The attaching member comprises any one of a bendable tab, a twistable tab, a resilient member, or any combination thereof.

Construction stud protector plate

A cable holding device for holding a communication cable beside an electrical power outlet box. The cable holding device comprises a frame having a main portion and an integral base portion, extending at a right angle to the main portion of the frame, for attachment to the side wall of a power outlet box with a front face of the main portion of the frame preferably substantially coplanar with a front face of the outlet box defined by the front edges of the walls of the outlet box. The frame has at least one tab to which a communication cable may be secured. A variety of tabs are disclosed, some of which have a hole connected with an access slot for receiving the cable. The tab may be manually bent to enlarge the slot to allow passage of the cable to the opening after which the slot may be at least partially closed to retain the cable in the opening. Alternatively, the tab may be elongated with a length sufficient to secure the cable to it by tying a knot in the cable or may have a V-shaped notch for receiving and retaining the cable.

Growing community of inventors

St. Jean, Canada

Mark E Fabian